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The holidays are a time of year when you really start thinking about decorating the inside of your home. From Light up signs to bright flashing lights, there are plenty of distractions for you and your family even plenty of pie and cookies. After all would it be the holidays without baked goods to share with your closest friends and family. It’s easy to get caught up in the entire time of year and forget how it all can affect your pet.

It’s a safe bet that if you have ever heard of Christmas as a holiday, you’re well aware of the yearly tradition of having and decorating a tree. First off, remember your goal is to fully enjoy the holiday, including your beautifully decorated tree. However, it’s important to keep your pet in mind when choosing how you will setup for the holidays to ensure they remain safe and happy.

In this situation there’s no foolproof way to keep your dog out of the tree, your best bet is to monitor their behavior around it. Also make sure they do not nibble on the branches as some trees contain preservatives to keep the tree alive longer in your home with just water in the tree stand.

Now obviously, what’s a Christmas tree without any lights or ornaments? An important point of contention is your dog being able to ingest parts of the decorations. Just keep a close eye on your dog when your in the same room especially. It’s generally best not to leave your dog in the same room as the tree when no one is going to be home. Just for your dogs safety as no one would be around to aid them if they attempt to swallow a small part of an ornament.

Also make sure when your sleeping to turn the lights off so there’s no power coming into the tree. Your dog is much more likely to attempt to play with or nibble on the lights when your not in the same room as they are. If you’re unable to deter your dog from trying to touch the tree, you could use a foul smelling perfume. This isn’t as effective in dogs as it is in cats however, but its been known to work on some dogs who have an overly sensitive sense of smell, more so then other dogs (such as beagles).

You should also factor in they will mainly attempt to touch the lower part of the tree since it’s the most accessible with the least amount of effort on their part. Using plastic ornaments only down below, and any breakable or expensive ornaments closer to the middle and top is advised. You can also start the lights a bit higher intentionally to keep them out of their reach.

The most common problem however, is your dog ingesting tinsel or ribbons, its very easy to swallow, and obviously can cause a problem breathing if it goes down the wrong pipe. It’s very important to make sure none of this is left laying around for your dog to grab.

In closing make sure to get your dog some toys to play with they never had before during the holidays when everyone is opening presents this will be the distraction they need to keep them away from the objects which can cause them a problem.